It is important to distinguish if a student is unable to perform a task due to a lagging skill or due to some other factor that is impeding the student's ability to perform the skill. For students with neurobiological conditions, the later category can often come in to play. It is important to address the factors that impede student performance before working on skill acquisition. Note that a student can also already have a skill but one of these factors is inhibiting them from using it. In this scenario, it is important to support the student with what is impeding performance rather than to focus on teaching the skill. This may require environmental modifications, supports, teaching strategies or changing interaction approaches with the student. These factors are all related to Stuart Shanker's five domains of regulation and include:
Motivation: Possible reasons for decreased motivation in students with nuerobiological conditions could include things like a history prolonged or intense failure in a skill area, or lack of common interests (not motivated by what is motivating other students in the same situation) (Bellini, 2006, p. 108). Challenges around motivation can be addressed by setting the student up for success through using such methods as chaining, visual supports, social scripting or by using reinforcement strategies (one example of a reinforcement strategy is a first-then visual).
Sensory Sensitivities: "Sensory issues can significantly impact social interactions by leading to social withdrawl, avoidance, and diminished social performance" (Belini, 2006, p. 109). Sensory issues can also impact a student's ability to concentrate as his/her focus might be directed at that challenge rather than what other students are concentrating on. It is important to recognize sensory challenges as part of the neurological condition a student has. These issues can be addressed through sensory integration strategies, teaching the student relaxation strategies or environmental modifications. Ideas can be found on the Biological Domain page of this site.
Anxiety: Students with neurobiological challenges can be challenged by anxiety. At moderate levels, anxiety is an adaptive response and "may improve cognitive efficiency by increasing alertness" (Belini, 2006, p. 110). High levels of anxiety, on the other hand, can be debilitating, causing "diminished behavioural performance and cognitive processing" (Belini, 2006, p. 110). Strategies for helping students cope with anxiety and be found on the Cross Domain page of this website.
Attention and Impulsivity: Students with neurobiological conditions can have significant challenges related to attention and impulsivity. It is futile to try to teach a student something new if they are unable to attend to the task. These students may need interventions that include use of self-monitoring tools, self-regulation strategies and planning tools that will serve to help decrease impulsivity and increase attention to task (Belini, 2006, pp. 110-111).
Memory: It is important to distinguish between the memory of "how to do" something and "to do" something. All students, but particularly those with some neurobiolgoical conditions, are challenged in the remembering "to do" things. Spending time teaching a student how to do something when the challenge they have is remembering to do it does not make sense. Possible strategies to use if a student has trouble remembering to do something are memory or visual prompts and cues or organizational strategies like visual schedules or checklists (Belini, 2006, p. 111).
Self-efficacy: Self-efficacy is defined as "people's belief about their capabilities to produce designated levels of performance that exercise influence over events that affect their lives. Self-efficacy beliefs determine how people feel, think, motivate themselves and behave" (Bandura, 1994, p. 2). Self-efficacy is closely tied to resiliency. Students with low self-efficacy are fearful, avoidant, give up easily and have a fixed mindset. Students with neurobiological conditions often experience repeated failure and this affects their sense of self-efficacy. Strategies that can be used to positively influence a student's sense of self-efficacy include mastery experiences (setting up situations so that student experiences success), observing successful models (strategies for this could include social stories, peer models, video modeling, feed-forward), social persuasion (cheerleading a student through difficult tasks), and helping the student to manage their anxious responses (Belini, 2006, pp. 111-112).
Movement Differences: Students with neurobiological differences may experience greater challenges than other students in the areas of starting, stopping, switching or combining movements, thoughts, activities, or emotions. To support students with these challenges, we can use concrete cues or signals, visuals and teach students coping strategies for combining (Belini, 2006, p. 114).
Achieving and maintaining regulation for students with neurobiological conditions can be a challenge. These students often face complex challenges and supporting their regulation may require a multi-disciplinary approach as the concept of regulation is also vast and complex. A student team addressing the challenges outlined above may require input from an occupational therapist, mental health professional, physical therapist, medical doctor, and/or speech language pathologist. It is important to include needed members on the student's team. To achieve regulation, "many neurologically rooted skills need to be integrated including the following:
Sensory processing and modulation
Emotional regulation
Executive functioning
Language processing
Pragmatic language
Perspective taking and social cognition
Central coherence
Understanding all of the areas involved provides guidance in determining treatment approaches and skill building in the areas of need. Given the complexity of regulation, using an interdisciplinary approach to address the underlying deficits is most effective in developing and generalizing skills." (Source: http://www.zonesofregulation.com/1/post/2012/03/how-to-promote-social-regulation.html)
Achieving and maintaining regulation for students with neurobiological conditions can be a challenge. These students often face complex challenges and supporting their regulation may require a multi-disciplinary approach as the concept of regulation is also vast and complex. A student team addressing the challenges outlined above may require input from an occupational therapist, mental health professional, physical therapist, medical doctor, and/or speech language pathologist. It is important to include needed members on the student's team. To achieve regulation, "many neurologically rooted skills need to be integrated including the following:
- Sensory processing and modulation
- Emotional regulation
- Executive functioning
- Language processing
- Pragmatic language
- Perspective taking and social cognition
- Central coherence
Understanding all of the areas involved provides guidance in determining treatment approaches and skill building in the areas of need. Given the complexity of regulation, using an interdisciplinary approach to address the underlying deficits is most effective in developing and generalizing skills." (Source:http://www.zonesofregulation.com/1/post/2012/03/how-to-promote-social-regulation.html)